As used in this application, materials described as “electrically conductive” and “electrically non-insulative” are characterized by conductivities in a broad range electrically more conductive than materials described as “electrically non-conductive” and “electrically insulative.” Materials described as “electrically semiconductive” are characterized by conductivities in a broad range of conductivities between electrically conductive and electrically non-conductive. Terms such as “front,” “back,” “up,” “down,” and the like, are used only to describe an illustrative embodiment, and are not intended as limiting.
Numerous devices for the coating of articles with atomized, electrostatically charged coating material particles are known. Generally, there are two types of such devices, ones in which the coating material particles are charged by direct contact with surfaces maintained at some non-zero magnitude electrical potential, sometimes called “direct charging,” and ones in which the coating material particles are charged after they are atomized, sometimes called “indirect charging.” Direct charging is typically used when the material being atomized is electrically non-conductive. The power supply which provides the charge to the direct charging apparatus will not be shorted to ground through the stream of coating material flowing to the atomizer. Indirect charging, on the other hand, typically is used in situations in which the material being atomized is electrically non-insulative, for example, when the material is waterborne, and would otherwise short the power supply which provides the charge to ground absent the presence in the supply line between the coating material source and the atomizer of a so-called “voltage block.”
Direct charging devices are illustrated and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,536,514; 3,575,344; 3,608,823; 3,698,636; 3,843,054; 3,913,523; 3,964,683; 4,037,561; 4,114,564; 4,135,667; 4,216,915; 4,228,961; 4,381,079; 4,447,008; 4,450,785; Re. 31,867; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,784,331; 4,788,933; 4,802,625; 4,811,898; 4,943,005; 5,353,995; 5,433,387; 5,582,347; 5,622,563; 5,633,306; 5,662,278; 5,720,436; 5,803,372; 5,853,126; 5,957,395; 6,012,657; 6,042,030; 6,076,751; 6,230,993; 6,328,224; 6,676,049; published U.S. patent applications: US 2004/0061007; US 2005/0035229; and WO 03/031075. There are also the devices illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,759,763; 2,877,137; 2,955,565; 2,996,042; 3,589,607; 3,610,528; 3,684,174; 4,066,041; 4,171,100; 4,214,708; 4,215,818; 4,323,197; 4,350,304; 4,402,991; 4,422,577; Re. 31,590; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,518,119; 4,726,521; 4,779,805; 4,785,995; 4,879,137; 4,890,190; 5,011,086; 5,058,812 and, 4,896,384; British Patent Specification 1,209,653; Japanese published patent applications: 62-140,660; 1-315,361; 3-169,361; 3-221,166; 60-151,554; 60-94,166; 63-116,776; 2004-272447, PCT/JP2005/018045; and 58-124,560; and, French patent 1,274,814. There are also the devices illustrated and described in “Aerobell™ Powder Applicator ITW Automatic Division;” “Aerobell™ & Aerobell Plus™ Rotary Atomizer, DeVilbiss Ransburg Industrial Liquid Systems;” and, “Wagner PEM-C3 Spare parts list.”
Indirect charging devices are illustrated and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,085,373; 4,955,960; 4,872,616; 4,852,810; 4,771,949; 4,760,965; 4,143,819; 4,114,810; 3,408,985; 3,952,951; 3,393,662; 2,960,273; and, 2,890,388; and published European patent application 0 509 101 A1. Such devices typically provide an electric field through which atomized particles of the electrically non-insulative coating material pass between the atomizing device and the target to be coated by the atomized particles.